Hot Water

A broken water line that filled an apartment with scalding hot water left three people displaced into the early part of this week, Newport Beach fire officials said Monday. Saturday morning, a 1-inch water line burst in the ceiling of a third-story apartment in the Seaview Lutheran Plaza elderly community, flooding water into the building, Capt. Ron Gamble said. A caretaker in the apartment called 9-1-1 and got the tenant out, Gamble said. The lower apartments were unoccupied at the time.

Ahoy. Wow, is the water hot and I mean hot, as in temperature hot? It is so hot that fish are swimming from Hawaii to bask in our water temperatures. Now, that is great news. Also, the seas are great this weekend for boating from Southern California all the way up to the Gulf of Alaska. Just watch out for patchy fog and a wind chop in the afternoon that will be good for hoisting your sails. Well, the warm water brings good news for fishing, with marlin, dorado and yellowtail swimming off our coast.

It's good news that the Orange County Humane Society's animal shelter will be replaced. For the past year, shelter volunteers have been alarmed about conditions at the outdated facility, which reportedly lacks even such basics as hot water. A modern facility with the latest technology and building standards will make the shelter more pleasant for the animals, for visitors and for volunteers. While many of the volunteers' complaints raise questions about the standards of care at the shelter, official investigations of the facility by law enforcement officers have never substantiated the most serious allegations.

Marisa O'Neil Schools officials want to build a power plant on campus that would provide electricity, hot water and big savings. The UC Board of Regents this week approved a plant for the campus that would allow it to generate its own power. UCI still needs to get funds from the state to build it. "We still have to get the money allocated," said Paul Howland, director of plant operations for UCI. "This is a major milestone, but we don't have the money yet."

I've been in some scary situations, but never have I been so frightened as one time when I was diving. When one spends one's childhood in a mud flat environment, one becomes familiar with stingrays or, as we kids called them, "stingarees." At low tide, no problem. Walk across the mud. However, come high tide with the mud covered with eight to 12 inches of water -- watch out! One does not lift one's foot. One slides the foot along in the mud. Sting rays are bottom feeders.

Summer is here, and our gardens are now being treated to occasional periods of very hot and very sunny weather. Just a few days ago, temperatures were in the 60s at night, shot up to 80 degrees by 9 a.m., and just a couple of miles inland were near 100 degrees by noon. We’re certainly in for more periodic heat spells during the next two or three months, so prepare now. Hot summer temperatures can be the bane of many local gardeners’ existence. Here are a few tips: Strong plants withstand heat better than weak plants.

"The unthankful heart discovers no mercies; but the thankful heart will find, in every hour, some heavenly blessings." -- Henry Ward Beecher I've heard many flood stories after my column last week. More people have slogged through soggy carpets than I ever imagined, and many of you endured far worse situations than ours. I also heard some amazing fire stories. A friend of mine named Debbie told me about a conversation with a friend who said, "I'm sorry if I seem a little scattered today, but my house burned down last week."

ROBERT GARDNER I have built two houses. Not myself, of course. I have revealed in the past that I ended up in college because that was all I was good for, at least by my father's perspective. As a man who made a living for many years as a carpenter, he despaired of a son who couldn't drive a nail straight. Of course, that being the case, it was imperative that when it came time to build I hire a good contractor, and I certainly did. I don't know how many houses Bill Rogers built over the years, but he built two for me, both of which still exist.

I love home improvements. The planning and research are almost as much fun as the finished product. I don't always love the financial part, and I certainly don't like the inconvenience, but freshening up the house is high on my list of priorities. When you buy an older home, you know you've signed a contract for continuous care. If it's not the water heater, it's the paint on the eaves. If it's not the paint, it's the plumbing: it's an old story, you know how it goes.

To brine or not to brine, that is the question. Robert L. Wolke, in his book "What Einstein Told His Cook," says, "Brining seems to be all the rage these days, as if the world's chefs and food writers have suddenly discovered salt water, like Balboa discovering the Pacific Ocean. " Preserving food in salt water has been around for centuries, but nowadays, it has become a trendy new way to add juiciness and flavor to drier meats. Why and how does brining work? To put it simply, salt and water will flow from the greater concentration of salt (the brine)

To brine or not to brine, that is the question. Robert L. Wolke, in his book "What Einstein Told His Cook," says, "Brining seems to be all the rage these days, as if the world's chefs and food writers have suddenly discovered salt water, like Balboa discovering the Pacific Ocean. " Preserving food in salt water has been around for centuries, but nowadays, it has become a trendy new way to add juiciness and flavor to drier meats. Why and how does brining work? To put it simply, salt and water will flow from the greater concentration of salt (the brine)

He could be working in any major Southern California hospital, with his master's in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University and bachelor's from UCLA. Instead, Kevin Selna, 33, chose a different public health setting: the beach. Selna, who patrols the coastline of Crystal Cove State Park, is one of about 70 lifeguards-peace officers for the state park system who watch the shores and enforce laws up and down the coast. While he carries a gun and a badge, most full-time lifeguards do not. So when news reports revealed guards' generous pensions — one of the reasons Selna took the job — and the nearly $150,000 in salaries paid to Newport Beach supervisors, people around the world got furious.

A man who hooked a giant specimen of a protected species of fish at Balboa Pier has hired a lawyer and created a website to tell his side of the story after video of his big catch surfaced on YouTube, attracting scrutiny from law enforcement officials. Amateur angler Jon Apothaker could face up to a $1,000 fine and/or six months in jail for unintentionally landing a giant black sea bass off the pier Jan. 3. Apothaker said he released the fish once he realized it was a black sea bass.

This year’s senior class prank at Corona del Mar High School caused $8,000 worth of damage and could lead to suspensions or expulsions for the roughly 20 students who allegedly perpetrated it, district officials said Monday. According to school administrators, the students spray-painted the walls and doors of the school with some benign and some profane expressions, dumped bleachers and soccer goals into the swimming pool, glued pennies to locks and covered trees with toilet paper last week.

A broken water line that filled an apartment with scalding hot water left three people displaced into the early part of this week, Newport Beach fire officials said Monday. Saturday morning, a 1-inch water line burst in the ceiling of a third-story apartment in the Seaview Lutheran Plaza elderly community, flooding water into the building, Capt. Ron Gamble said. A caretaker in the apartment called 9-1-1 and got the tenant out, Gamble said. The lower apartments were unoccupied at the time.

Summer is here, and our gardens are now being treated to occasional periods of very hot and very sunny weather. Just a few days ago, temperatures were in the 60s at night, shot up to 80 degrees by 9 a.m., and just a couple of miles inland were near 100 degrees by noon. We’re certainly in for more periodic heat spells during the next two or three months, so prepare now. Hot summer temperatures can be the bane of many local gardeners’ existence. Here are a few tips: Strong plants withstand heat better than weak plants.

Ahoy. Wow, is the water hot and I mean hot, as in temperature hot? It is so hot that fish are swimming from Hawaii to bask in our water temperatures. Now, that is great news. Also, the seas are great this weekend for boating from Southern California all the way up to the Gulf of Alaska. Just watch out for patchy fog and a wind chop in the afternoon that will be good for hoisting your sails. Well, the warm water brings good news for fishing, with marlin, dorado and yellowtail swimming off our coast.

It's good news that the Orange County Humane Society's animal shelter will be replaced. For the past year, shelter volunteers have been alarmed about conditions at the outdated facility, which reportedly lacks even such basics as hot water. A modern facility with the latest technology and building standards will make the shelter more pleasant for the animals, for visitors and for volunteers. While many of the volunteers' complaints raise questions about the standards of care at the shelter, official investigations of the facility by law enforcement officers have never substantiated the most serious allegations.

MAXINE COHEN It was finally time for me to try the Spa and Fitness Club at South Coast Plaza. I'd wanted to go there for years because I'd heard great things about it but I never seemed to make it happen. So my daughters got together during the holidays and gave me a gift certificate. That was the push I needed. I made an appointment for a massage and facial, anticipating a day of rest and relaxation, thinking of nothing related to work or the things I had to get done.